Top Thirty 12-String Guitar Songs of All Time

[libratune]

I think "You Were On My Mind" should have placed somewhere on the list.

JimK

Thanks, Jim, that was really interesting listen.

Pretty versatile use of a 12-er for the lead fills, etc. The lead singer's dance moves leave something to be desired, however.

A solid candidate for one-hit-wonder status.

[shamustwin]

I think "You Were On My Mind" should have placed somewhere on the list.

JimK

Thanks, Jim, that was really interesting listen.

Pretty versatile use of a 12-er for the lead fills, etc. The lead singer's dance moves leave something to be desired, however.

A solid candidate for one-hit-wonder status.

One of quite a few folk groups at the time to put a little back beat on one of their folk tunes and hit the pop charts.

[fabandgear]

I think "You Were On My Mind" should have placed somewhere on the list.

JimK

Thanks for posting this...I always thought Bev was cute!

[ken_j]

One of my favs...

[jps]

One of my favorite 12 string guitar songs!

[jimk]

I think "You Were On My Mind" should have placed somewhere on the list.

JimK

Thanks, Jim, that was really interesting listen.

Pretty versatile use of a 12-er for the lead fills, etc. The lead singer's dance moves leave something to be desired, however.

A solid candidate for one-hit-wonder status.

One of quite a few folk groups at the time to put a little back beat on one of their folk tunes and hit the pop charts.

Technically not a "folk" song (a song nobody wrote) We Five changed it up quite a bit. It was actually written by Sylvia Tyson, wife of Canadian singer/song writer Ian Tyson. Over the years, their arrangement changed a little bit. Here it is done with a straight up country feel.

JimK

[Grey]

Not sure why people are complaining about Hotel California being #1. It's a song that everyone, read: everyone knows and instantly recognizes. In terms of popularity, i'd say its the #1 12 string song, not to mention the fact that its a fantastic piece in its own right, specifically the Hell Freezes Over version. If you put A Hard Days Night next to Hotel California, I think we all know which one most people would recognize.

[Folkie]

How about:

A Hard Day's Night (Beatles)
Ticket to Ride (Beatles)
If I Needed Someone (Beatles)
Mr. Tambourine Man (Byrds)
Eight Miles High (Byrds)
Turn! Turn! Turn! (Byrds)
Chimes of Freedom (Byrds)
My Back Pages (Byrds)
Gardening at Night (R.E.M.)
7 Chinese Bros. (R.E.M.)
Pretty Persuasion (R.E.M.)
Green Grow the Rushes (R.E.M.)
Good Advices (R.E.M.)

Robert

[Halbert]

One of my favorite 12 string guitar songs!
<snip>Genesis YouTube clips</snip>

I was thinking of this one:

[Ain'tGotNoPokemon]

How about:

A Hard Day's Night (Beatles)
Ticket to Ride (Beatles)
If I Needed Someone (Beatles)
Mr. Tambourine Man (Byrds)
Eight Miles High (Byrds)
Turn! Turn! Turn! (Byrds)
Chimes of Freedom (Byrds)
My Back Pages (Byrds)
Gardening at Night (R.E.M.)
7 Chinese Bros. (R.E.M.)
Pretty Persuasion (R.E.M.)
Green Grow the Rushes (R.E.M.)
Good Advices (R.E.M.)

Robert

Good choices!

[JakeK]

Some 12-string favorites of mine from

The Who:
Can't Explain
Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere
The Good's Gone
The Kids Are Alright
So Sad About Us
Pictures of Lily
Sunrise (The Who Sell Out)
Sparks

Tom Petty (with which guitarist played the 12-string):
Here Comes My Girl (Campbell)
Casa Dega (Campbell)
The Waiting (Petty and Campbell)
Free Fallin (Campbell)
I Won't Back Down (Petty and George Harrison)
Into the Great Wide Open (Petty and Campbell)
Christmas All Over Again (Campbell)
You Wreck Me (Scott Thurston)
A Higher Place (Campbell)
Walls (Circus) (Campbell)
Dreamville (Campbell)

And we can't forget the Kinks:
Well Respected Man
Sunny Afternoon
Come Dancing (Ray on acoustic 12, Dave on electric)

[beatles beatnik]

The Song Remains the Same
The Rain Song (when arranged on a 12-string)
Ten Years Gone...(I know it's all over dubbed, but man does it sound good on a 12!)
You've Got to Hide Your Love Away
A Hard Day's Night
I Should Have Known Better
and about 24 others I can't think of right now lol

[manta]

How to talk about meeting Bob Dylan and tune your 12-string at the same time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2KoIWEAdaM

Oh and Vaseline Machine Gun, one of my favorite Kottke 12-string tunes, which should be in the top 20 or so:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tew_fIhz3eY

[Ain'tGotNoPokemon]

As long as we're on the subject, Glen Campbell recorded several unknown 12 String guitar albums (Including one with all Rickenbacker!!!).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aankpz8_Esg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsPHLw8xFe8 - He may have recorded this before Dylan, who wrote it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=362tsbeZC_U

[jch]

Wot,no Crossroads theme tune,i'm offended!

I'm surprised there wasn't something from The Smiths though.
The Searchers When You Walk In The Room would be high up on my list.